— Anonymous
In my catholic high school, my English teacher praised Walt Whitman yet never once mentioned anything regarding his sexuality. I was surprised to find out how openly gay he was, and how I had never known. Finding out Whitman’s sexuality only enhanced his poetry to me and added a more personal level. Looking back, I feel like I never even read Whitman’s poetry and now I have a new insight into his work. In “When I Heard at the Close of the Day” Whitman describes waiting for a lover to arrive. I find it a shame that my high school would glaze over this beautiful part of Whitman’s work only because it was not in line with their views. “When I Heard at the Close of the Day” has easily become one of my favorite poems by Whitman. I love this poem because I feel it describes an extremely universal feeling. The excitement and anticipation of waiting for someone special to arrive is a unique emotion that only happens occasionally. This year has welcomed big changes in my life, such as moving away from home and to the city. I miss my family and friends, but when I know they are coming to see me it is like something in my mood changes for the better. Just like Whitman described, even the thought of somebody special arriving is able to make a person happy. Whitman is able to write about a unique feeling in a universal way, which is what I wish people from my high school would acknowledge. Whitman’s sexuality should not be hidden and kept a secret but rather embraced, this way a whole new world of poems can be read and loved. Whitman always highlighted unity and sameness, which are such important ideals we should adapt into our everyday lives. Although this aspect of Whitman’s poetry was taught to me, looking back my high school administration focused more on differences rather than similarities. In the end, I am glad I was able to learn more about Whitman and be exposed to a new side of him.
